The lighthearted generational run of play, and why you should incorporate it into adulthood.
#whimsy-maxxing #gamenight #innerchildhealing
Envision this: a warm summer evening in the early 2000s, you and your friends laughing as you navigate the next adventure, playing silly games born from the pure curiosity of “What should we do?” Nostalgically, game night hosted by Hands in the Soil is the perfect way to relive all those childhood memories, but with a twist of adulthood.
Recently, we’ve seen a common trend of adding more whimsy to our day-to-day lives, but why does that actually heal us?
Play has revolved around us for as long as we can remember. All the laughter, running around, mind games, and seeing who has the better manipulative tactics when playing Mafia actually have properties that evolve and heal us. From a neurological perspective, these aspects release hormones like endorphins, dopamine, and endocannabinoids that lower cortisol and calm the body. (Trezza, V., Baarendse, P. J. J., & Vanderschuren, L. J. M. J., 2010) As adults, with so many responsibilities, it can be a lot of stress and wear on our bodies, especially when we don’t have something that lets us put down the adult versions of ourselves and connect with our inner child.
Who is that inner child?
The inner child is the subconscious part of us that embodies our earliest childhood memories, emotions, and beliefs, and it reflects how we react to stress and navigate our adult emotions. (Cleveland Clinic, 2024) When we allow ourselves to connect with our inner child, our brain automatically connects back to that state of wonder and joy, just like the old times when we made mud pies because that was the closest we could get to baking as a 3-year-old. When we embrace our inner child, recognizing patterns in how we react and evolve emotionally as adults becomes easier. (Cleveland Clinic, 2024) Although tough as a conversation, grounding and recognizing what we experience and feel is incredibly important not only for ourselves but also for how we show up for others as well.
So how can we incorporate more play into our lives?
Simple. Pick anything that sparks you, something that really excites you, and romanticize every part of your time playing. Some of my favorite ways to integrate more play into my life are by experimenting with my coffee or tea (I was a mud-pie kid), creating clay art, or playing board games with my family from time to time. You can also revisit some of the things you loved as a kid, whether that’s something artistic, active play, or even just reaching for a fictional book; there are so many ways to integrate more playfulness into your routine.
If you’re still feeling stuck, Hands in the Soil hosts Let’s Play: Adult Game Nights on certain Friday evenings at Dena Heals (as posted), where we bring back the joys of simple board, card, and childhood games that resonate with all the nostalgic memories that you loved as a kid. As a reminder, play is light-hearted, gentle, and fuels positive energy into your inner child! Happy whimsy-maxxing and enlighten that inner child.
Here are a few beautifully captured photos to reminisce about from our latest Adult Game Night!
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